Promises to Keep
by Lovelorn Lindsey
Summary: Rico has an odd almost prophetic dream, and the whole day he mopes and mulls it over, catching the eye of Kowalski. Rico/Kowalski implied one-sided Skipper/Private
1. Rico's Dream

**Title:** Promises to keep**  
Fandom:** Penguins of Madagascar**  
Pairing(s):** Rico/Kowalski**  
Warning:** Homosexuality, furries**  
Summary: **Rico has an odd almost prophetic dream, and the whole day he mopes and mulls it over, catching the eye of Kowalski.  
A/N: This is a dream sequence

* * *

_Kowalski hated to do it, but Private and Skipper were beginning to stir in their beds—their noisy antics were going to pull their companions from slumber. After a quick nuzzle, he whispered, "Rico, perhaps it would be in both of our best interests if you returned to your bunk for the rest of the night?" The tall penguin chuckled at the returned grunt of dissatisfaction, the weapons expert burying his head further into his teammate's feathers. "Rico…" he murmured, patting the hunched penguin's head lightly. "We can sleep together if it storms again…I promise."_

_To emphasize Kowalski's statement, or just on coincidence, a slow clap of thunder popped through their ears. Rico shivered and pulled back, straining his brows thoughtfully, his face clearly marked with misgiving, disfigured beak turned down. Kowalski went to speak, feeling guilty, but Rico just shook his head, and flipped into his bed, twisting uncomfortably, "Heeehhh…" he huffed. Kowalski chuckled, smoothing the feathers were Rico had nestled._

"_Pleasant dreams to you, as well, Rico."_

_Said penguin huffed restlessly, clearly agitated, yet reluctantly crooned, his own sort of 'good night,' one that, somehow made Kowalski's heart flutter in his chest._


	2. Shore Leave

**Title:** Promises to keep**  
Fandom:** Penguins of Madagascar**  
Pairing(s):** Rico/Kowalski**  
Warning:** Homosexuality, furries**  
Summary:** Rico has an odd almost prophetic dream, and the whole day he mopes and mulls it over, catching the eye of Kowalski.

* * *

Rico sat up sharply, slamming his skull into the stone above, uttering a disconcerting sound. Kowalski stood first, looking a little more concerned than he would have liked. "Are you all right, Rico?" he murmured, waddling to his friend's side, trying to keep his face straight, and, instead, broke out in a grin at the wincing sight of his friend.

"Eh?" Rico peered up from behind his flippers as he rubbed his sore head. That was going to bruise, for sure. "Feh!" he grumbled, smirking and gesturing a flipper dismissively. Private looked curiously from the TV and Skipper arched a brow at the almost touching scene.

"Ya all right there, soldier!" he barked, involuntarily harsh. Rico, on instinct, lurched into a stiff salute, knocking into Kowalski as he did. Skipper snorted, feeling it better not to laugh. Kowalski blushed under his feathers as Rico cautiously nuzzled his face into the sweet smell, and then stood. The hunched bird held out a wing to Kowalski, who stared, looking flustered, and took it gratefully. "That was quite the head-butt." He commented, using his suave talents to crack what he assumed was a joke everyone would get.

Only Private giggled, and he did so with such a self-conscious tremor that Skipper was in no doubt that the young one had no idea to what he was referring. "AH, never mind…" he muttered and waddled off to the chessboard, and Private returned, unfettered, to his soap opera.

"By the way, Rico, today's a shore leave—free time." Rico stared. After an awkward pause, Kowalski waddled after Skipper, glancing behind him, and saying, "Why don't we try a game, Skipper?"


	3. Marlene Visits

**Title:** Promises to keep**  
Fandom:** Penguins of Madagascar**  
Pairing(s):** Rico/Kowalski**  
Warning:** Homosexuality, furries**  
Summary:** Rico has an odd almost prophetic dream, and the whole day, he mopes and mulls it over, though he isn't exactly an Einstein or Da Vinci.

* * *

Marlene had stopped by that afternoon, walking in as if she had been there countless times before, when she had only seen the inside a few short periods. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

Skipper raised a brow, concentrating on his next move. "What _is it_, Marlene, we're busy…" he moved his queen with a sly grin, then sat up and crossed his flippers. "Try that one, hot shot." He goaded.

Private stood from his spot and hurried over to the otter to pull her into a warm, friendly hug, which she returned with a disturbed titter.

Without looking away from Marlene, Kowalski flashed across the board and intoned, as if bored, "Checkmate. And, _greetings_, Marlene, what a surprise, seeing you." He stood in salutations as Skipper stared, wide eyed, at the board. Finally, the leader kicked it away, frustrated, and stood.

"Something you needed?" he asked, frowning, his flippers at his middle.

"What? Can't a gal visit some friends once in a while, what?" she turned, and peeked at Rico sitting in a far corner, holding his Barbie doll half-heartedly. "Hey, Rico, what's up?"

"Meh…" he grunted, shrugging and waving sluggishly, then going limp once more, his eyes falling onto the bristling form of Kowalski, who gawked, upset, and mouthed, "What do you mean, 'meh'?" Rico only shrugged again, but this time with more ease and a sniggering gesture. That mollified Kowalski, and he relaxed, though he didn't really understand what had made him so concerned in the first place. When wasn't Rico sitting in a corner holding his doll?

Marlene marveled at the silent interaction, one that had to have slipped past Private and Skipper unnoticed, considering their oblivious expressions. Perhaps it was her female sensitivity, but she got the impression that something was more than it appeared. That couldn't have been why she had been pulled here, to witness a strange occurrence between two 'friends'. Could it?

When she readied herself to leave, she eyed Kowalski playfully, gesturing towards the morose looking Rico. "Why don't you go cheer him up?"


	4. Julien Visits As Well

**Title:** Promises to keep**  
Fandom:** Penguins of Madagascar**  
Pairing(s):** Rico/Kowalski**  
Warning:** Homosexuality, furries**  
Summary:** Rico has an odd almost prophetic dream, and the whole day, he mopes and mulls it over, though he isn't exactly an Einstein or Da Vinci.

* * *

Minutes after Marlene left, Julien materialized with his groupies at his side. Kowalski sat next to Rico uncomfortably, but merrily. He glared at the tallest of the lemurs, only because it was the one Skipper disliked the most (hate was such a strong word). The mouse lemur, Mort, cocked a head at the penguins sitting in the bare corner, the blond haired doll left forgotten and unloved a few feet away.

Kowalski raised a brow indifferently as Mort continued to stare. Finally, he glared and Mort still did not turn, he, instead, smiled cutely and tottered to his king's side. Maurice peered at them now, too. And he apparently saw the same thing. He smirked and turned away. Julien didn't seem to understand what made his worshippers so eager to leave. Neither did Skipper or Private, but they were thankful the lemurs hadn't taken anything of value—just a few seconds of time.

As they left, Maurice winked their way and Mort giggled. Julien puffed air from his mouth and shouted something in a different language. Maurice answered in the same foreign tongue, and Julien finally looked as though he realized. He looked at Kowalski and Rico, cocking a brow and wiggling it slyly. "Goodbye boys!" he rang, mostly directed towards the two tallest, and they went on their way.

"WHAT is with these animals today…" Skipper muttered, annoyed, but pleased that he hadn't needed kick Julien out physically.

Rico and Kowalski shared a strange gaze. Kowalski beamed and, seeing that Rico was heavy-eyed, offered a soft shoulder to lean on. Rico took it happily and, soon enough, he was snoring.


	5. Mort In Peril?

**Title:** Promises to keep**  
Fandom:** Penguins of Madagascar**  
Pairing(s):** Rico/Kowalski**  
Warning:** Homosexuality, furries**  
Summary: **Rico has an odd almost prophetic dream, and the whole day, he mopes and mulls it over, though he isn't exactly an Einstein or Da Vinci.

* * *

Mort screamed incomprehensibly, mixing the names of Julien and Maurice as he cried. Julien, more worried than he would have ever admitted, called down into the sewer, "Mort! Are you okay down dere?"

"Y-your majesty…" Maurice began, "Maybe we should ask the penguins for help—I mean, this is the type of thing they—"

"Say no more, simian." Skipper shook his head, flippers folded, and his men held their positions nicely. When Skipper finally dropped his façade, so did the others. Rico eyed Kowalski with a snarky grin and Kowalski snorted, but smiled back. "What's the deal? We were getting ready for bed when—"

"KING JULI-HE-HEEENNN!" Mort echoed from the manhole. Private gasped.

"Oh! He's down there, Skippah!"

"Good observation, Private!" Skipper patted the youngest crewmember's back, feeling rather liberal with compliments. He pointed to the strategist. "Kowalski, options!"

"Uh," Kowalski paused; Rico was standing behind him, a little closer than 'friends' should. "Ahem, we could lower someone down via cable or rope to collect Mort and transfer him safely…" The tall one tapped his beak with a pen, and pointed at a specific spot. Rico taped down an X on command. "There!"

"Hmm…" Skipper peered around the group, and his eyes happened to fall upon, lo and behold, Private. "You think you're up for a mission, Private?"

Looking a little more than hesitant, Private gulped and ambled to his leader. "Uh…sh-sure, Skippah…" He wasn't one to refuse his flat-topped prince.

Rico coughed up a long rope, which Kowalski pulled from his gut like a train of scarves from the mouth of a clown. When he felt there was enough, Kowalski snipped the thick chord and tied it tightly around the small bird's middle. The end, he handed to Rico, the strongest of the four. "Hold tight to that, Rico." He advised, Rico nodded vigorously and clenched hard, determined. For a moment, Kowalski admired that look, until Rico averted his eyes nervously.

"Ready, Private?" Skipper mumbled, patting his young friend's back. Private blushed and nodded, clenching his eyes.

"C-could you push me, Skippah?"

"Already way ahead of you!" Skipper called as Private plummeted. The poor boy let out a squeal and choked on it when the rope hauled him to a stop.

At the surface, Rico grunted, and fed the rope until he felt Private pull and the reverberation of, "Got 'im!" rang to their ears.

Julien sighed in relief and took the dirty, shaking lemur from the penguin's grasp, standing exactly on the X Rico had made. Maurice took him from Julien and hugged the mouse lemur, ignoring the grime, then sat him down gently. "_What_ is to be wrong with you!" Julien scolded, "You scared m…" he paused. And pointed to Maurice. "You scared poor Maurice half to the grave!"

"S-sorry, King Julien…" Mort shivered under his king's cruel gaze. "I felled in…" he hugged his tail and fell silent. Maurice sighed.

Guiltily, Julien picked him up off the ground and said complacently, "Let us return to the home."

"YAY!"

"Ah, shut up, you are _so_ annoying."

"Hehehe."

Skipper turned to his men, "Well, boys, I think it's…uh…" he peered at his tallest crewmates, who seemed to be in some sort of one on one staring match, even if neither of them looked particularly competitive at the moment. Private didn't seem to notice, he was too busy making googly eyes, at what, or whom, Skipper didn't know. "…time for bed."

* * *

A/N: I got that 'push me' joke from Futurama. The episode with the balls, you know the one. If you don't, well, you're **** outta luck because I don't know the episode name. And those stars (I don't know what else to call them) are for a cuss word, you can choose which one you want it to represent.


	6. Storm

**Title:** Promises to keep**  
Fandom:** Penguins of Madagascar**  
Pairing(s):** Rico/Kowalski**  
Warning:** Homosexuality, furries**  
Summary:** Rico has an odd almost prophetic dream, and the whole day, he mopes and mulls it over, though he isn't exactly an Einstein or Da Vinci.

* * *

Thunder shook the penguin's concrete HQ. "Sk-Skippah…" Private sniveled and Skipper was immediately at his youngest crew member's side with a questioning noise, eyebrow arched.

"What is it, Private?" he murmured loudly, his cobalt eyes darting this way and that. "Did you hear something over the storm? A break in?"

Private blushed under his feathers, a not so quite unpleasant sensation, and shook his head. "All I hear is the storm." The youngster looked into his skipper's eyes pleadingly. "Can I sleep with you?"

Skipper sputtered loudly. "I think not, young Private, it would be highly inappropri—"

"B-but Skippah!" Private shook, "I con't sleep, I'm too scared."

For the last time that day, Skipper sighed and set his jaw. "Alright, okay. But just for tonight." He forewarned, and settled down into the bed, ruffling when Private buried his head into his feathers. "Ahem…good night."

"'Night…" Private breathed, all smiles, and promptly fell asleep, with his leader following not so far behind.

Rico shivered at the sound of thunder, and, having watched the interaction between Skipper and Private, scooted to the edge of his bed and stood, taking the edge of his teammate's bunk firmly. "…hmm." Waking him up would be somewhat of a problem. He didn't want to frighten his friend. "K'walski…?" he choked hoarsely. Kowalski shifted, but did little else.

He nudged the taller's stomach hard. To this, Kowalski snorted awake in a daze. "What? Oh, Rico…what time is it?"

Rico shrugged and pushed his superior over, sliding in himself. Kowalski huffed and pushed back. "What are you doing?" he demanded as a ripple of thunder cracked over head. As soon as Rico shivered, Kowalski knew why. "A mild case of astraphobia? No, it doesn't seem to be that severe…" he hummed and rubbed his beak. Rico cuddled up against him as Kowalski reddened, "Ah…Rico, I…" he paused and took at good look at his mute comrade. "You're afraid of the storm?"

Belligerently, Rico shook his head, but shivered again at another loud clap of thunder. He made a discouraging sound as he acknowledged it. Kowalski patted him comfortingly, "No worries, Rico, I won't tell anyone. After all, it's only natural. In our natural habitat, penguins don't normally get caught in a thunder storm. Skipper and I've had time to get used to them, Private and you, however…but never you mind…" he paused. "I suppose I could allow you to sleep beside me…after all, I assume Private is sleeping with Skipper."

The intellectual jumped at Rico's hoarse chuckle and found himself laughing quietly himself. "Let's get some sleep, shall we?"

"Uh-huh." Rico snuggled his head further into his friend's side as another bolt of lightning ripped the sky.


End file.
